The Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder will be the New Rivalry to Watch

The Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder really have more in common than you’d think. Sure, one franchise spent a lot of cash on a center, while the other worries about salary cap seemingly all the time, but the similarities are definitely there. The biggest thing that connects Houston to Oklahoma City is a trade that is now over a year old.

By the time James Harden retires, most NBA fans will have forgotten all about his time with the Thunder. Instead, Harden’s name will be made for what he does with Dwight Howard come playoff time. At the same token, Kevin Durant of the Thunder will also be graded on his postseason play as he and Russell Westbrook have yet to reel in that illustrious NBA Championship.

And so the rivalry begins.

Which one of these star scorers will win a title first? Harden might not have the resume Durant does, but the shooting guard has made drastic leaps each and every season with 2014 being no different. It’s very rare to have former teammates going head-to-head at such a young age and at this magnitude, yet Harden and Durant have a real chance at establishing a rivalry that the NBA has never seen before.

As an NBA fan, I can’t wait to see which one of these All-Stars wins a championship ring first.